Actor, activist George Takei draws a crowd at Yale screening

Actor and activist George Takei, right, speaks during a panel discussion following a screening of “To Be Takei,” a documentary on his life, at the Whitney Humanities Center at Yale University Friday night. At left is Takei’s husband, Brad Altman.
Photo by Ben Bartenstein

The laughter of George Takei echoed throughout the Whitney Humanities Center at Yale University Friday night as he shared stories from the set of “Star Trek” and discussed “To Be Takei,” a documentary on his life.

The night began with a screening of the documentary and followed with a panel discussion featuring Takei, his husband, Brad Altman, film director Jennifer Kroot and producer Gerry Kim.

During the discussion, Takei sat center stage, his signature black New Balance running shoes complementing his gray suit and black slacks, just as his playful bantering balances his trailblazing actions.

“You determine your destiny,” Takei told the audience. “My life today is much better than when I was a child.”

Advertisement

The film examines Takei’s role as Lt. Sulu on “Star Trek” and his more recent gay rights activism. It also depicts his early years in a Japanese-American internment camp. “My parents told us that we were going on a long vacation to a place called Arkansas,” Takei said. “That sounded exotic.”

At the camp, Takei grew accustomed to armed guards following him everywhere, especially at night. “I thought it was kind of nice that they lit the way for me to pee,” he said.

Takei later recognized the harsh reality of his childhood. When the casting call for Sulu was announced, Takei understood the gravity of his audition. “Here was an Asian-American character speaking without an accent, part of the leadership team,” he said. “It was a breakthrough role, for Asians and for me professionally, as well. I desperately wanted it.”

Takei got the part, and “Star Trek” became a television classic, despite initially low ratings.

Nearly 50 years after the show’s debut, Takei’s mix of humor and honesty continues to spread across the globe; His combined Facebook and Twitter followers surpasses eight million.

Takei maintains this humility and composure despite the judgement he receives from some.

In 2007, when former NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway said he hated gay people, Takei produced a satirical public-service announcement for the “Jimmy Kimmel Show,” in which he sent Hardaway a message of love from the gay community. “I love sweaty basketball players,” Takei quipped.

In 2013, Takei reacted to a “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which was introduced in the Tennessee legislature, with a simple post on Facebook. “It’s okay to be Takei,” he wrote. The Facebook status went viral.

As a result of his savvy social media skills, Takei has captivated audiences young and old.

Molly Nolan, 61, of Durham, recalled her childhood when she watched “Star Trek” in her living room. “The first season it ran on Thursday and in my one-TV, olden-day family, someone else had dibs for that timeslot,” Nolan said. “I out-waited them and started watching it the next year.”

Nolan started following Takei’s Facebook page when he began publicly pushing for marriage equality in recent years. “He has a wicked sense of humor,” she said.

Addison Hu’s first introduction to Takei was on Facebook. A friend invited him to like Takei’s fan page, which he did.

“He brings a lot of things to people’s attention,” said Hu, an 18-year-old Yale sophomore from Los Angeles. “Some people don’t go out of their way to inform themselves about certain things. It’s good to have someone with that podium to address those things.”

Along with his film tour circuit, Takei has headlined multiple gay pride parades throughout summer. Last month, he wore a Boy Scout uniform and marched with Scouts for Equality in the New York City Pride Parade.

“You think of the message of hate and division between groups of people,” Hu said. “George is the opposite of that.”

“To Be Takei debuted” at the Sundance Film Festival in January. It hits theaters and iTunes August 22.